Avant's history in the access control industry spans four decades and is highlighted with 34 US patents, a state-of-the-art US manufacturing facility in Massachusetts and over 55,000 client organizations who use their products, 6,000 of which have used Avant as their expert consultants.

Avant's emergence into the access control industry began in 1963 with their development of the first multi-lens, instant photo camera that produced identical control copies of identification photos. This camera, trademarked as the Quad®, was soon followed by Avant's six-lens camera for clients who required more than three identical control copies. These groundbreaking cameras, manufactured in Avant's US factory, laid the foundation for the instant ID card industry that continues to thrive today. These cameras provide economies of cost, time and material that enable companies & organizations, as well as counties throughout the world, with the capability to produce secure and highly affordable ID cards. And as a result of the ruggedness and portability of these cameras, many thousands continue to perform reliably throughout the world today.

Continuing in their effort to simplify and improve the instant identification card industry, Avant then developed the first lamination envelopes, called "laminating pouches" or "chips". This new method of lamination eliminated post-lamination trimming which had been the cause of huge quantities of wasted material as well as wasted time. It also eliminated much of the counterfeiting by unauthorized use of scrap material. As the oldest manufacturer of customized lamination pouches, Avant continues to carry the widest range and highest quality level of heat activated polyester lamination pouches, both in terms of size and thickness.

Subsequent to the development of these ground breaking innovations, Avant went on to develop many more industry firsts, including the first all-Mylar magnetically striped ID cards, the country's first instant-photo drivers license installation, the first all-photo ID card, the first permanently embossable instant-photo ID cards, as well as numerous improvements to the lamination process and other ID camera innovations that both lowered cost and improved reliability & security. Click here's for a more complete list of Avant's Innovations.

Paralleling Avant's continual inventions and manufacturing successes over the years, they increasingly found themselves in the role of consultant for clients needing expert guidance in developing their own customized access control systems. To date, their list of clients reads like the who's-who of American business and exceeds 6,000 in number. However, as the supplier for over 55,000 organizations, their emphasis on efficiency and quality has made them a champion for smaller & medium sized organizations by providing hassle free access and security control equipment and supplies.